Immigrant rights activist Jeanette Vizguerra, who once evaded deportation by living in Denver churches, has been detained by federal authorities.
Vizguerra was arrested at about 11 a.m. Monday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while on her lunch break at a Target store, according to her friends and family.
Her detention set off a mad scramble among activists, attorneys and the family of Vizguerra, who also goes by Vizguerra-Ramirez. Vizguerra's lawyer filed a petition with the U.S. district court for Colorado on Tuesday morning seeking to stop any deportation actions.
Vizguerra's family asked ICE to let the case play out in court.
"There is no reason to target her. Nothing has changed in her case except the administration. It’s clear to us now that the government of our country is targeting our mom in violation of her rights and due process, for her bravery and courage, for her leadership and skill, for her speech," they said in a statement.
Vizguerra's detention comes as advocates charge that the Trump administration is cracking down on immigrants who are political dissidents, sometimes defying judges and moving quickly to strip them of visas and other legal protections.
"She was a symbol of resistance," said Jordan Garcia, a local immigrant rights advocate.
